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SERMON XI.

RELIGIOUS ZEAL.

REVELATIONS iii. 19.

Be zealous.

In considering the principles and maxims by which our religious zeal must be regulated, in order to its being an acceptable part of Christian character, and answering most purely and effectually the purposes for which it is enjoined, we stated that it must be real and conscientiousthat it must be according to knowledge-that it must be guided by prudence and discretionthat it must consist with moral integrity—and that it must be under the government of charity.

6. We now remark, in the last place, that our zeal must be in proportion to the value and importance of the objects which excite it, and to the exigencies in which these may happen to be placed.

Religion consists of a variety of parts, each of which taken separately has its own meaning and usefulness, and all of which, in their combined

form, constitute the method by which it has pleased God that our salvation shall be promoted and accomplished. It is not presented to us, indeed, under the aspect, and with the usual demonstrations, of a regular system; but still it is capable of a systematic arrangement, from which no portion of it, however apparently alien from its general scope, and however apparently unessential to its ultimate design, can be wisely or consistently excluded. All its subjects harmonise with one another in their nature, or in their mutual dependency, or in the great objects which they are intended and calculated to attain. Every one of them has its own appointed place, and bears its own influential part, in the economy of God's will respecting the deliverance and happiness of his fallen creatures. And although, with regard to some of them, we may not be able to discern either their relative or their absolute consequence, yet we may be certain, from the perfection of him who has put them where they are, that they are of consequence there in some shape or other; and though we cannot affirm that the knowledge and belief of every one of them is indispensable to the redemption of a sinner, yet we may affirm, that the knowledge and belief from which many of them are excluded, must be so far incomplete, and that wilfully to neglect or to disregard any of them, while aware that they have the sanction of divine authority, is to betray a

spirit not very accordant with the reverent and submissive spirit of a true Christian.

The inference that falls to be deduced from this statement, in reference to our religious zeal, is evidently that our religious zeal must operate in behalf of every department of Christianitythat no branch of it, however small, should be treated by us with indifference-that the least and most inconsiderable fraction of it has a just claim on our attachment, and ought to be steadily adhered to.

Such an opinion will be thought too rigid by many, and they will not hesitate to accuse us of proposing in this way to expend our zeal upon trifles. But when the points we allude to are denominated trifles, this is just taking the thing for granted. Were they trifles, they would not be where we find them. The appellation cannot belong to what comes from "the excellent glory." If there be any thing which, by human carelessness, or by human interference, has intermingled itself with divine revelation, let it not merely be treated with neglect, but let it be discarded altogether as an impious intruder. But let it not be said of one iota of the remainder, that it is of trifling moment. It proceeds from the majesty of God; it is addressed to the faith, or given for the government of men; and though it may make but a small figure in the midst of those all-important truths which surround it, and

though it might, so far as we can discover, be dropped from the system without materially affecting either its truth or its efficacy, still such freedom cannot be used with it, and the profound respect due to the character of its author properly and fully manifested.

And were this once allowed to be a legitimate practice, I know not where it might be expected to stop. The unbending maxim of "thus saith the Lord," would be speedily superseded by the more convenient maxim of thus thinks man.” The most fundamental tenets would quickly be deemed and ranked among those accidental circumstances which need not be retained, or which, if retained, deserve not to be heeded. And in this manner the whole communication which we have received from heaven would ere long be permitted to sink into the class of insignificant messages, and what God intended to result in the best interests of his creatures, would be converted into an instrument of dishonouring and disobeying himself.

Both in reason and expediency, therefore, we abide by the principle, that whatever our Creator has put into the scheme and the record of the Gospel, must be the object of our unconquerable regard, and that if any one of its particulars, be it ever so minute, and be it ever so seemingly unconnected with our welfare, have the misfortune to be assailed by unbelievers, and assailed

by them with the view of wresting it from its position, and casting it away as useless or irrelevant, then it becomes us to be zealous in our endeavours to defend it, and by defending it to defend the integrity of revelation, and the honour of him who gave it. To sit calmly by in such a case, and see unmoved the merest outskirts of Christianity invaded, is virtually to acknowledge that we are destitute of religious zeal, and therefore possess not what we are commanded to have.

But notwithstanding all this, it cannot be doubted, that the various parts of religion have different degrees of importance belonging to them. Such is the case with all systems whatever; and Christianity forms no exception. Every system has certain leading principles and properties of which it cannot be divested without undergoing a total change of character, and without wholly failing to answer its destined purpose; while there are other subordinate principles and properties, which appear, neither in themselves nor in their relations, to be necessary to its existence, and to its ultimate purpose, and which, though it could not lose them without sustaining detriment, might be conceived to be without them, and yet to be substantially and finally efficient. And so is it with Christianity. Being a plan of divine contrivance, all that is to be found in it, must be considered as important